Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pelicans Sign Alize Johnson To 10-Day Contract

March 2nd, 2022 at 10:44am CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 2: Johnson’s 10-day deal with the Pelicans is now official, the team announced in a press release. As noted below, it’ll run through March 11, covering New Orleans’ next six games.

FEBRUARY 28: The Pelicans are adding some frontcourt depth by signing free agent forward Alize Johnson to a 10-day contract, agent George Langberg tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Johnson, 25, began the 2021/22 season with the Bulls after earning a 15-man roster spot in training camp. He was waived in December when Chicago required a spot on the roster for Alfonzo McKinnie and subsequently joined the Wizards on a 10-day hardship deal.

In total, Johnson has appeared in 19 NBA games this season for Chicago and Washington, averaging 1.7 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 7.3 minutes per contest. He has career averages of 2.5 PPG and 3.0 RPG in 68 appearances (7.5 MPG), having also spent time in Indiana and Brooklyn since he was selected 50th overall in the 2018 draft.

The Pelicans have an opening on their 15-man roster, so no corresponding move will be required to sign Johnson, who will get a standard 10-day contract. The deal will pay him $99,380, with the team taking on a cap hit of $95,930.

New Orleans doesn’t play its next game until Wednesday, so the club could wait until then to officially sign Johnson in order to maximize his 10 days. If he formally joins the Pelicans on Wednesday, Johnson would be under contract through March 11, making him eligible for six games. If he signs today or tomorrow, Johnson’s deal would expire before the team’s March 11 contest vs. Charlotte.

Isaiah Thomas Signs 10-Day Deal With Hornets

March 2nd, 2022 at 10:03am CST by Arthur Hill

MARCH 2: The Hornets have officially signed Thomas to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release.

MARCH 1: The Hornets will sign free agent point guard Isaiah Thomas to a 10-day contract, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Charlotte will be the third team of the season for Thomas, who inked a 10-day deal with the Lakers on December 17 and another 10-day agreement with the Mavericks on December 29. He played five total games under those contracts, averaging 8.6 PPG in 22.8 minutes per night.

Thomas, 33, has been tearing up the G League since rejoining Denver’s affiliate in Grand Rapids after the All-Star break. He averaged 41.3 PPG in three games over the past week and earned NBAGL Player of The Week honors, as our JD Shaw reported (via Twitter).

The Hornets have a roster opening, so they won’t need to make a move before signing Thomas. As an 11-year veteran, he will earn $151,821 over the 10-day deal. The team will take on a cap hit of $95,930.

If Charlotte makes the contract official on Wednesday, Thomas will be able to play in five games before it expires. He would then be eligible for a second 10-day offer or he could be signed for the rest of the season.

Lakers Officially Complete Roster Moves

March 1st, 2022 at 4:39pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Lakers have announced in a press release that they have officially signed free agent point guard D.J. Augustin and free agent power forward Wenyen Gabriel, two moves that had previously been announced as being in the works.

Los Angeles opted to waive reserve center DeAndre Jordan, clearing a spot for Augustin on the 15-man roster. Gabriel will replace Sekou Doumbouya on a two-way deal with the club.

The 34-year-old Augustin, most recently with the Rockets earlier this season, will provide a veteran presence backing up starting point guard Russell Westbrook. Augustin was selected with the ninth pick in the 2008 draft out of Texas, six spots behind Westbrook.

The 5’11” vet has previously suited up for the Hornets (back when they were the Bobcats), Pacers, Raptors, Bulls, Pistons, Thunder, Nuggets, Magic, and Bucks, before landing with Houston midway through the 2020/21 season. This season, Augustin averaged 5.4 PPG, 2.2 APG and 1.2 RPG across 34 games (15.0 MPG) in a reduced role for a rebuilding Rockets club.

The reeling Lakers have lost seven of their last 10 games, and currently occupy the Western Conference’s ninth seed with a disappointing 27-33 record. In Augustin, they’ll add a reliable bench option with a solid shooting stroke from deep. For his career, Augustin is connecting on 38% of his 3.4 three-point attempts a night. This season, he is converting 40.6% of his 2.8 looks. Westbrook, meanwhile, is making 29.2% of his 3.4 three-point tries per night.

Gabriel, 24, will be playing for his third team this season, following stints with the Nets and Clippers. Across seven NBA games this season, the 6’9″ Kentucky alum is averaging 6.7 MPG. In 10 contests this season for the Bucks’ NBA G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, Augustin averaged a far more robust 28.3 MPG, as well as 16.8 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 2.2 APG and 2.1 BPG.

Bobby Marks of ESPN adds (Twitter link) that Augustin will be earning a $622,467 salary through the rest of the season, with a cap hit of $393,312. That will increase the Lakers’ already-significant projected luxury tax bill to $45MM.

Jordan and Doumbouya are on track to clear waivers on Thursday if they’re not claimed. Both will be playoff-eligible if they join new teams. Jordan is reportedly receiving interest from the Sixers.

Lakers To Waive Sekou Doumbouya, Add Wenyen Gabriel

March 1st, 2022 at 12:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers will open a two-way slot for Wenyen Gabriel by waiving Sekou Doumbouya, tweets Jovan Buha of The Athletic. L.A.’s interest in Gabriel was reported Monday, but the team had to choose between unloading either Doumbouya or fellow two-way player Mason Jones.

Doumbouya, a 21-year-old forward, signed a two-way contract with the Lakers prior to the season, was waived in November, then signed a second two-way deal in January. However, he got into just two NBA games with L.A., logging 16 total minutes. He appeared in 12 games for the team’s G League affiliate in South Bay, averaging 6.3 points and 4.8 rebounds in 20 minutes per night.

Doumbouya spent his first two seasons with the Pistons, but was traded twice during the offseason and was eventually waived by the Rockets in early October.

Gabriel, 24, signed 10-day contracts this season with the Nets, Clippers and Pelicans during the height of the COVID-19 outbreak, playing in seven total games. He has previous NBA experience with the Kings and Trail Blazers, as well as a prior stint with New Orleans.

Lakers To Waive DeAndre Jordan, Sign D.J. Augustin

February 28th, 2022 at 6:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers are waiving DeAndre Jordan and are signing free agent guard D.J. Augustin. They also plan to sign forward Wenyen Gabriel to a two-way deal, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The team had been seeking depth at the point behind Russell Westbrook.

Jordan played nine minutes in the blowout loss to New Orleans on Sunday but has seen limited action over the last two months. Overall, Jordan averaged 4.1 PPG and 5.4 RPG in 12.8 MPG in 32 games with the Lakers on a veteran’s minimum contract.

Jordan may not be out of work for long. The Sixers will aggressively pursue Jordan, either via a waiver claim or after he clears waivers, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Augustin, meanwhile, was waived by the Rockets at the trade deadline. The 5’11” point guard, a 14-year NBA veteran, averaged 5.4 PPG, 2.2 APG and 1.2 RPG across 15.0 in 34 contests with Houston this season. Augustin, who has logged 955 regular-season games, will be playing for his 11th team.

Gabriel has spent time with the Nets, Clippers and Pelicans in 2021/22. All of his NBA contracts during this season were 10-day deals under the hardship provision.

Gabriel, who was waived by the Bucks during training camp, has played in seven NBA games this season — six for the Clippers and one for the Nets. The 24-year-old didn’t play at all during his most recent 10-day deal with New Orleans, but appeared in 21 games for the Pelicans last season. Overall, he has 58 career NBA appearances.

Los Angeles has Mason Jones and Sekou Doumbouya on two-way deals, so one of those players must be waived to make room for Gabriel.

Tomas Satoransky Signs With Wizards

February 28th, 2022 at 5:22pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Veteran guard Tomas Satoransky has officially signed with the Wizards, according to a team press release.

Satoransky was bought out by the Spurs and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported over the weekend he intended to return to Washington once he cleared waivers. That occurred on Monday.

Satoransky, who was in the final season of a three-year, $30MM contract, appeared in 32 games with New Orleans and one game with San Antonio this season. He was involved in two deadline deals — he was traded from the Pelicans to the Trail Blazers in the CJ McCollum blockbuster, then was shipped to the Spurs in a three-team swap.

Satoransky played his first three seasons in the league (2016-19) with the Wizards. During that span, he appeared in 210 games (87 starts), averaging 6.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG and 3.7 APG.

With Bradley Beal out for the season and Spencer Dinwiddie having been traded to Dallas in the Kristaps Porzingis deal, Satoransky could jump right into the Wizards’ rotation. Washington hosts the Pistons on Tuesday.

Celtics Sign Matt Ryan To Two-Way Deal

February 28th, 2022 at 3:01pm CST by JD Shaw

FEBRUARY 28: The Celtics have officially signed Ryan to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release.

FEBRUARY 27: The Celtics are planning to sign Grand Rapids Gold swingman Matt Ryan to a two-way deal, according to Marc Stein of Substack (Twitter link). Ryan will join guard Brodric Thomas as Boston’s two-way players.

Ryan has played 16 games in the G League this season, averaging 18.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest. He has shot 43% from the floor and 39% from three-point range during those outings.

Ryan went undrafted in 2020 after spending collegiate seasons at Notre Dame, Vanderbilt and Chattanooga. The 24-year-old is capable of playing the shooting guard and small forward positions.

Boston signed Kelan Martin and Malik Fitts to 10-day contracts last week. The team ranks sixth in the East at 36-26 and still has an open spot available on its 15-man roster.

Raptors Sign D.J. Wilson To Third 10-Day Contract

February 28th, 2022 at 12:48pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors have signed forward D.J. Wilson to a third 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. Toronto had an open spot on its 15-man roster, so no one needed to be waived to complete the signing.

Wilson, 26, initially joined the Raptors on a 10-day deal on December 23, then signed a second one on January 7. During his time with the club, the former first-round pick appeared in three games and played well in a limited role, averaging 8.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.7 steals in 16.0 minutes per contest. He also made 8-of-11 shots from the floor (72.7%).

Because Wilson’s first two 10-day contracts were both completed via the COVID-related hardship exception, he wasn’t ineligible to sign another 10-day deal with the Raptors.

A player is limited to two standard (ie. non-hardship) 10-day contracts per season with the same team, so Wilson could technically sign one more 10-day pact with Toronto after this one before a rest-of-season commitment would have to be made.

Wilson will earn $102,831 during his 10 days with the Raptors, who take on a $95,930 cap hit. The deal will run through March 9, making the forward eligible for the team’s next six games.

Although two-way player Justin Champagnie is still a candidate to eventually be promoted to fill the 15th spot on Toronto’s standard roster, Wilson could make a case for a rest-of-season deal if he plays well in the next 10 days.

Tim Frazier Signs 10-Day Contract With Cavaliers

February 26th, 2022 at 4:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

FEBRUARY 27: Frazier has officially signed his 10-day contract with the Cavaliers, per a team press release.

FEBRUARY 25: The backcourt-depleted Cavaliers are signing veteran point guard Tim Frazier to a 10-day contract, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

The team announced on Thursday that Caris LeVert would miss one to two weeks due to a foot sprain while All-Star Darius Garland is battling lower back soreness. Neither played in the team’s loss to Detroit Thursday night. On Friday, Rajon Rondo was diagnosed with a sprained toe that will sideline him at least two weeks.

Frazier was signed to 10-day contracts with the Magic this season under the hardship exception during the COVID crisis in late December. He wound up playing 10 games for Orlando, including three starts.

Frazier, 31, has also played for Philadelphia, Portland, New Orleans, Washington, Milwaukee, Detroit and Memphis is his journeyman career. He’s averaged 4.9 PPG and 4.0 APG in 17.7 MPG in 287 NBA games.

Cleveland had a roster spot available and won’t have to make a corresponding move.

Haywood Highsmith Signs Second 10-Day Deal With Heat

February 26th, 2022 at 3:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

FEBRUARY 26: The Heat have officially signed Highsmith to a second 10-day contract, the team announced (Twitter link).

FEBRUARY 25: Forward Haywood Highsmith will sign another 10-day contract with the Heat, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

Highsmith signed his first standard 10-day contract on February 15. That contract was extended by one day due to the All-Star break and will expire after tonight’s game against the Knicks.

The Heat will not be able to offer Highsmith another 10-day after the next one expires.

Highsmith had an earlier 10-day stint with Miami under the hardship exception in late December and early January. Prior to Friday’s game, he had appeared in six games with Miami this season, averaging 3.7 PPG in 11.8 MPG.

Highsmith had a brief stint with the Sixers in 2018/19, appearing in five games for the club on a two-way contract. The 25-year-old also spent the 2020/21 season in Germany, but has otherwise played mostly for the Delaware Blue Coats, Philadelphia’s G League affiliate, since going pro in ’18. He has appeared in 17 games with the Blue Coats this season, averaging 13.6 PPG on 39% shooting from three-point range.